Teams test Paris-Roubaix bikes at Scheldeprijs

Teams test Paris-Roubaix bikes at Scheldeprijs

Katusha riders were on a mix of Canyon Ultimate AL and Ultimate CF SLX frames at Scheldeprijs.

(Jonny Irick)

Saxo Bank riders were mostly on Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4s at Scheldeprijs, with one or two Venges tossed into the mix.

(Jonny Irick)

The welds are so well finished on Katusha's Canyon Ultimate AL frames that it can be hard to tell them apart from the carbon fiber ones. The head tube mounted housing stops are the dead giveaway, though.

The Argon 18 Gallium frames of Team Spidertech p/b C10 are notable for their unique head tubes. Extensions can be added or subtracted from the top instead of using comparatively flimsy headset spacers.

(Jonny Irick)

Even pros don't get brand-new stuff all the time as evidenced by this scuffed-up Team Spidertech Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur.

(Jonny Irick)

The stout front end of UnitedHealthcare's NeilPryde Diablo frames.

(Jonny Irick)

UnitedHealthcare is now on NeilPryde for the 2012 season.

(Jonny Irick)

Enve carbon rims are built around Chris King hubs for the UnitedHealthcare team.

A number of Vacansoleil-DCM team bikes were equipped with FSA Gossamer brakes instead of higher-end models. We're not sure why yet, particularly given they offer no advantage in terms of pad clearance or adjustments range.

(Jonny Irick)

Check out the tail fins on the back of Vacansoleil-DCM's Bianchi Oltre fork crowns.

(Jonny Irick)

The majority of Vacansoleil-DCM used Bianchi Oltre frames at Scheldeprijs.

(Jonny Irick)

Ultra-skinny seat stays on the back end of Vacansoleil-DCM's Bianchi Oltre frames.

(Jonny Irick)

Somehow we get the feeling Team Sky riders don't have the time to read all of this while racing - probably better not to try, anyway.

(Jonny Irick)

Veloflex Arenburg tubulars for Team Sky at Scheldeprijs.

(Jonny Irick)

Several Radioshack-Nissan riders - including Hayden Roulston and Gregory Rast - used Trek's new Domane frame at Scheldeprijs. We expect the full crew will be using it at Paris-Roubaix.

Mid-week Flanders Classics race Scheldeprijs is a worthy feather in the cap for sure but from an equipment standpoint, it also serves as the final opportunity to shake out gear for Paris-Roubaix in a race situation. We've seen teams on a mix of special and standard equipment in the past at Scheldeprijs – keep in mind the cobbled sections aren't terribly demanding here – and this year's running was no different.

Making a debut appearance was Argos-Shimano's new Felt F1, slightly modified in preparation for Sunday. Changes were similar to what Felt has done for sponsored teams before, including longer fork blades with more rake, special dropouts to lower the bottom bracket, longer chain stays, and slightly tweaked seat stays that all combine to produce a more stable and more comfortable bike with extra tire clearance than the standard F1.

RadioShack-Nissan unfortunately lost its Classics star, Fabian Cancellara, during the Ronde van Vlaanderen but three other riders still set out at Scheldeprijs aboard the new Domane cobbles bike. We expect most – if not all – of the riders will be so equipped come Sunday. Also worth noting is that it looks like it's not just Cancellara that gets a shorter head tube than on the consumer version. If that's indeed the case, that's something we believe Trek should offer to regular buyers as well as it'd make the Domane's impressively comfortable ride more suitable for racing, too.

Riders were also sussing out ways to cushion their hands. The usual double-wrapped bar tape was in full effect on several riders' bikes but potential Paris-Roubaix winner Juan Antonio Flecha of Team Sky also sported double hoods on his Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 levers. We spotted Lizard Skins' impressively grippy and squishy DSP polyurethane tape on at least two teams as well – a brand we're certainly not accustomed to seeing in these circles.

Top-mounted brake levers and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 satellite shifters were rife in the peloton today but Team Sky's setups were perhaps most interesting. Shimano intends those shifters to be mounted such that they're thumb-actuated but most of the team's Pinarello Dogma K bikes had them flipped around for use with the riders' index fingers. Most intriguing was Jeremy Hunt's configuration – he used sprint shifters normally intended for the drops mounted up next to the stem.